Premonition
by PhaedraSolaris
Summary: There's a lot that one can fake if they're charismatic enough. Mathilde Carlton doesn't know how or why she ended up in the world of her favourite manga series, but that won't stop her from using her careful attention to detail to her full advantage. Many think she may be clairvoyant, but only Tilly can know the truth: she's just really thorough. OC
1. Chapter 1

Theodore Carlton stared across the hospital room at his mother as she argued with the doctor. Both of them were exhausted, but neither wanted to leave. Earlier that afternoon, when he'd been pulled out of class, Theo had been ecstatic that he didn't have to sit through another minute of his sixth form teacher droning on about long division. Now, he'd give anything to be back there. All the joy had drained from the eleven-year-old once he'd been given the news.

On the way to her ballet class, his older sister had been hit by a car.

Theo gripped his unconscious sister's hand, feeling the wave of panic wash through his body again as he stared at the cannula in her other.

His mother, clearly exhausted, sat next to him and wrapped her arm around her son's shoulders. "She's going to be okay," she assured him, but Theo could hear the wavering tone in her voice.

"Do they know when Tilly's gonna wake up?" he asked, still staring down at his sister's face.

"Not yet, sweetie," his mother said. "She hit her head pretty hard. Even then, the doctors are giving her a lot of medicine, so she'll be asleep for a while." The woman bit her lip and looked away, not wanting to show her son the doubt that was clear on her face.

"Is dad bringing Tilly's books over?" Theo asked, trying to change the subject.

His mother chuckled quietly. "I don't know how much help books will be at the moment," she said softly. "But I did ask him to bring over some of those dolls from the events she goes to."

Theo nodded. "The ones I'm not allowed to go to..."

"Next year," his mother promised. "When Tilly's all better and you've turned twelve, maybe she'll take you if you ask nicely."

As Theo was about to reply, a small knock sounded at the door to the hospital room. His father looked exhausted, a paper shopping bag stuffed full of Tilly's plush toys in one hand and his mobile phone in the other.

"I was trying to call you," he said, dumping the bag on the edge of the girl's hospital bed.

Theo gently picked the bag up and began rummaging through it as his mother sighed. "My phone's turned off, sorry."

"Don't you think I'm just as worried as you are?" His father snapped, going quiet when he noticed Theo cringe. "Theo? Your mum and I are just going to have a chat outside, okay?"

The boy nodded and kept his eyes down as his parents closed the door behind them, though he could still hear the muffled arguing from the hallway. Theo took one of the plush toys and inspected it. It was dressed in a dark green suit, with one bright blue eye and a black eyepatch over the other. He placed it on his sister's pillow before pulling out another. This one was dressed in all black, with black hair, red eyes, and a knowing smirk stitched professionally where his mouth was.

The last thing in the bag wasn't the piece of geeky merchandise Theo was expecting. It was his sister's ballet shoes - new ones she'd forgotten to pack that day - soft, pink and shimmering under the dim light of the room. Theo placed the shoes at the end of the bed, before taking his sister's hand in his once again and staring at the plush toys.

He'd never really understood his sister's fascination with Japanese comic books and animation, but he didn't mind watching one or two episodes with her. However he didn't recognise these certain characters. Maybe they were from one of the series his sister had deemed 'not appropriate' for an eleven year old to watch.

Theo at least knew that these two characters were some of her favourites. When he'd asked which one she liked the most, Tilly had almost given herself a migraine from trying to decide. The memories made Theo smile for a moment, but it quickly fell.

Despite the cuts on her face, Tilly's expression was peaceful, and Theo couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was dreaming about - or if she was even dreaming at all.

XXXXXXX

Mathilde Carlton's head felt heavy as her eyes fluttered open. It took her a few moments to realise she was lying on a wide pathway of grey stony gravel, the bag she'd had with her on the ground beside her with it's contents scattered everywhere.

She gingerly pushed herself up, her muscles aching in protest as she did, and gathered them up, pausing when she saw the new ballet shoes she'd forgotten to pack that morning. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she reached for them and frowned.

Something felt wrong.

Behind her, two of her plush 'Black Butler' dolls than normally sat on the end of her bed at home lay face-down in the grass beside the gravel pathway. Frowning, Tilly picked them up and dusted the dirt off them before stuffing them carefully into her bag.

She tried to stand, but her legs felt like jelly. Her vision was blurry, and Tilly rested her head in her hands. She had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was making her way to her dance class, having been able to leave school early for the day. She wasn't sure what had happened after that.

Tilly tried to push herself up again, this time managing to make it to her feet. She stumbled forward and looked around, her vision slightly blurry with dizziness. Choosing to follow the pathway, Tilly picked up her bag and began walking, frowning as a large, familiar manor came into view.

Her head began to spin again as she neared the house, and she sank to her knees. The house looked so familiar to her, but her memories were fuzzy. Tilly covered her face with her hands as her vision blurred again. Her bag slid off her shoulder as she hunched over, ready to throw up.

"Um, are you okay?" a strangely familiar voice sounded behind her, and Tilly's body tensed while she placed her hands on the ground, bracing herself. The gravel was digging uncomfortably into her knees, the navy blue skirt of her school uniform too short to cover them.

She turned her head slowly, still unable to see very well as the sunlight behind the person blinded her. The figure of a boy stood behind her, and Tilly could only just make out his blond hair and light neutral clothing before her hands slipped out from underneath her and she fell to the ground.

The boy behind her cried out a little in panic as he rushed towards her, and Tilly felt herself being picked up. Her eyelids felt heavy as she curled her fingers, now barely holding onto her bag, as the boy climbed the stairs; but, even though she felt like passing out, her consciousness just wouldn't fade.

Tilly almost _wanted_ to faint by the time she was brought inside. At least that way her dizziness and pounding headache would stop.

"My, my, what do we have here?" another familiar voice sounded as Tilly was gently placed down on a couch in some sort of sitting room.

She groaned and wretched, rolling partly off the couch and positioning herself as if she were ready to throw up. Her hand balled into a fist when nothing happened and she lay back down, breathing heavily.

Tilly gasped when her vision finally cleared at the two faces looming over her, and pressed herself against the couch as she scrambled into a sitting position. She looked at the two men, who were staring at her in surprise and confusion, before glancing nervously around the room, taking in what she'd only seen as mere drawings before.

She scrambled off the couch and pressed herself into a corner, sliding down the wall and huddling into a ball like a frightened animal.

The tall man in black slowly approached her, standing over her as Tilly cowered further against the wall. She knew who he was, and her instincts were right to be afraid of him.

The man offered her his gloved hand to help her up, and Tilly reluctantly took it, frowning as her green eyes met the demon's dark red ones.

"May I ask what you were doing on Phantomhive property so early in the morning?" Sebastian asked calmly, letting go of Tilly's hand and taking a step back.

She touched her forehead as the headache returned and shook her head. "I don't know," she said quietly, not wanting to give away just yet that she wasn't from their world. "I can't remember."

"If you can't remember that, do you at least have a name?" he questioned her, a little snappier than the first.

"Mathilde," Tilly answered him confidently, louder than her first feeble reply. "Mathilde Carlton."

"I shall call for a carriage to take you home," Sebastian decided. "Where are you from?"

Tilly shook her head. "No where any carriage could take me back to," she said, cringing a little at the vagueness of her answer.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and checked his pocket watch. "I must wake the young master now," he said, bowing formally to Tilly before turning to the gardener next to him. "Keep an eye on her," he said quietly before leaving the room.

"Sorry for scaring you," Finny said after a few moments of silence, making Tilly look at him in surprise.

She swallowed and lowered her gaze. "It's fine," she murmured.

"My name's Finnian," he said, and Tilly nodded.

"I know," she said absently, freezing when she realised what she'd said. She glanced over at her bag, which had been brought inside along with her, and Finny followed her gaze, his brow crinkled in confusion at her words.

He peered into the bag at the two plush toys, his eyes widening a little. Tilly's breath almost stopped as he reached for one, but she quickly stopped him.

"Don't touch them," she said quickly, making Finny look at her. "They're - uh - magic. If you touch them, something could happen to the real people." She cringed again. Now the simple plushes sounded like voodoo dolls.

Her words seemed to convince the young gardener, however, and he quickly backed away from the toys.

The door opened to reveal Sebastian, his dark red eyes still narrowed and suspicious as he watched Tilly. Finny approached the butler and murmured something into his ear, and Tilly tensed as Sebastian's glare hardened.

She closed her eyes and waited. She was going to die. The demon was going to murder her.

Sebastian reached past her and picked up the plush toy of his own likeness, inspecting it carefully. "Finny," he said, an air of command in his voice, without turning to look back at the gardener. "Watch over the young master while he eats his breakfast."

"Yes, sir!" Finny said enthusiastically. When he was sure they were alone, Sebastian tightly gripped each end of the doll and tore the plushie clean in half.

Tilly's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, her fists balling in rage. "You'd better put that back together," she growled, but her anger quickly subsided when the man stepped forward and bent down so his gaze was level with hers, looking far more furious than she ever could.

"It seems you aren't who you claim to be," Sebastian said with an eerie calmness. "Which brings me to my point: who are you, really, and what are you doing here?"


	2. Chapter 2

Tilly stared down at her hands as they clasped together, refusing to look up at the demon looming over her. She'd been sitting on the sofa she'd been placed on earlier for almost half an hour, explaining herself as best she could while the butler listened patiently, although a skeptical expression remained plastered on his face as she'd spoken.

"As sincere as you sound," Sebastian said. "I find it very implausible that you come from a different world and happen to know everything about us."

The teenager folded her arms and pursed her lips, unimpressed. "Don't demons like you also come from another world?" she asked, and Sebastian's expression fell in surprise as she continued. "The one with terrifying cats, and you...wore high heeled boots."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes as he leaned in close to her. "Odd," he said. "You don't _smell_ like a demon, yet you're not quite human either."

All Tilly could do was shrug. "I don't know how to explain that," she said honestly. "But if you feel the need to test me, I'm ready."

"I'll leave that to the young master," Sebastian said dismissively. "You can't appear in front of him dressed like _that_ , however."

Tilly looked down at herself. She wore her school's uniform of a white blouse, navy blue knee-length skirt and matching tie and blazer; conservative by her time's standards, but uncomfortably revealing for those of the Victorian era.

"You'll have to use the dresses left behind by Lady Elizabeth until we can order some new clothes," the butler muttered, more to himself than her as he strode across the room and opened the door. "Mey-Rin, excellent timing. Please take this young woman to the guest room we use when Lady Elizabeth stays the night and dress her in something less exposing."

Tilly stood up as the door opened a little wider and followed the maid, a giddy smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Out of all the female characters she'd ever encountered - whether it was books or movies - Mey-Rin had always been in her top ten favourites, being seemingly bumbling and awkward until she had to fight.

She hadn't had the chance to survey her surroundings when she'd first been brought in, but Tilly took this chance to look around. High ceilings, elegant wallpaper and plush carpets were merely the foundations of the manor's design, and Tilly found herself slowing down to stare at the portraits that lined the upstairs hallway.

It all felt so odd. Everything was so familiar to her - she'd seen it so many times - and the strange feeling of nostalgia clamped down on her chest; as though she'd actually been there before.

"This way, Miss," Mey-Rin said politely as she pushed one of the doors open and guided Tilly inside.

It didn't seem like any room Elizabeth Midford would have stayed in often, with plain decor and a simple vanity table with nothing on it. These were Tilly's thoughts until Mey-Rin opened the nearby wardrobe, and the teenager was assaulted with an abundance of frills and bright colours.

Could this girl's style be any more unsubtle?

Thankfully, the redheaded maid managed to pick the most understated garment hanging in the wardrobe and dressed her in it, corset and all, before leading the winded girl back down the hallway.

Sebastian met the two women in front of one of the doors and surveyed Tilly's appearance. "Better," he decided, and Tilly narrowed her eyes at his slightly disrespectful tone. The butler pushed the door open and lowered his head, signalling for Tilly to enter the room, before following after her and introducing her to the young boy at a large wooden desk.

Tilly found herself staring as the boy, Ciel Phantomhive, approached her, his one visible eye analysing her scrutinously. He was small, perhaps an inch or so shorter than her little brother, and nodded politely he flashed her a bright smile.

"Sebastian has told me so much about you," he said, his voice a little higher than she was used to hearing. "Shall we talk in the drawing room?"

Tilly narrowed her eyes. She new what he was doing. Bending her knees a little until her eyes were level with his, she spoke lowly. "Don't think you can fool me with that cutesy act you use on other people. If you smile at me, I want it to be genuine."

Ciel's innocent grin fell and his confidence faltered as she stood up properly again, following Sebastian outside, the demon barely attempting to hide the satisfied smirk on his face.

The three of them made their way to what Tilly assumed was only one of the manor's many sitting rooms, and the young girl gently perched on one of the sofas, with Ciel sitting in the chair across from her. As Sebastian took his leave, Tilly tried not to seem so intimidated. Sure, Ciel on his own couldn't do much, but the butler outside could.

Tilly watched a Ciel picked up a deck of cards and began to shuffle them. "Do you know the rules for Old Maid?" he asked, dealing the cards out.

Tilly said nothing, only nodding. It was a simple game - one she often played with her younger brother, Theo. She couldn't help but smile, both at the thought of her brother and at the adorable Funtom rabbit logo on the back of the cards.

"So," Ciel started, concentrating on his cards. "You claim to know everything about me. We'll start easy. What do I do for a living?"

The young girl looked up at him. "When you're not investigating the Underground to put the queen at ease, you run a toys and confectionary company." She narrowed her eyes slightly, reaching forwards and taking one of his cards. "Skip the questions anyone could know. It's not proof enough."

Ciel took one of her cards. "What was my childhood pet?"

"Irish wolfhound. Big thing." She smirked, taking a card and pairing it with her own. "You named your butler after him."

The boy suddenly looked uncomfortable. "You know how Sebastian came to work for me?" he asked, picking the Old Maid card from Tilly's hand, making her grin grow wider.

"Like I've said," she nodded. "I know everything." To make her point, she leaned forward and gently placed her fingertips against his side, knowing that his branding scar was hidden there beneath his clothes; though Tilly regretted it immediately as Ciel inhaled sharply through his nose, shocked.

He put down his cards, watching her with a cautious glare. She couldn't have _been_ there. Everyone had been slaughtered by Sebastian, and only Sebastian had seen the burn mark since, so how did she know?

Tilly's smile fell, being replaced with a look of concern, and she sat back in her chair. "I don't want to hurt you, or anything," she said quietly. "I want to help."

"And how could your trivia possibly help me?" Ciel scowled. "If you know everything about me, then I already know it too."

The girl paused, thinking, watching as Ciel stood up, clearly frustrated with her. "You don't know your future," she offered, her green eyes glinting excitedly when the boy turned around, curious.

"Go on," he pushed, sitting back down in front of her.

"Is there a man coming for dinner any time soon?" Tilly questioned, faltering a little. How was she supposed to know where in the timeline she was - if this was a correct timeline at all?

Ciel quirked an eyebrow skeptically. "If you're talking about Chlaus..." he murmured, and Tilly's face lit up happily. If she had her Black Butler trivia right (which she almost certainly did) Chlaus was the name of the man in the first chapter of the series.

Tilly leaned back triumphantly against the sofa. "In that case, I feel almost sorry for your butler," she smiled. "He puts in so much effort to give your guest the - and I quote - 'Phantomhive hospitality', only to have it ruined by your other staff."

The boy scoffed. "That's no different from what always happens here."

Leaning forward, Tilly's smile grew wider. "But does your Sebastian always turn your courtyard into a feudal Japanese garden?"

Ciel said nothing, only giving her an apprehensive glare.

"Well," Tilly sighed. "You won't know if what I'm saying is true until it happens." She stood up, heading for the door, Ciel following close behind.

"No," he agreed. "I suppose we won't."


	3. Chapter 3

Theodore Carlton had spent every afternoon since the accident in his sister's hospital room, sitting with her, reading the books he'd been assigned to read from school to her. The nurses had assured him that even though Tilly was asleep, she would still be aware that he was coming to see her every day, which would, in turn, make her happy.

The same could not be said, however, about his parents. The only times they would visit was to take Theodore home if he'd stayed too long. As far as Theo knew, they hadn't spent any time with her since the day of the accident.

He knew the nurses were murmuring about them out in the hallways - how sweet it was that he'd visit so often and how despicable their parents were for never coming to see their only daughter. Theo didn't know what to think; he too was angry at his parents for never staying with her, but he also knew how busy they were.

If they couldn't be there, Theo would stay with Tilly instead.

XXXXXXX

Tilly spent that night in Elizabeth's usual room, though she couldn't sleep. She hadn't been hungry either, and had refused both lunch and dinner. Now, Tilly sat in the dark, the three items that had been in her bag when she'd first arrived at the estate sprawled out on the end of her bed: her pointe shoes, a plush doll of Ciel, and a plush doll of Sebastian which had since been torn in half by the demon whose likeness it held.

Lighting one of the candles left on her nightstand, Tilly surveyed the items again. She wasn't going to sit quietly in the bedroom for the next seven hours. She wanted to explore, wanted to move. Tilly tied the ribbons of her ballet shoes together and hung them around her neck, picking up the torn doll and her candle before quietly leaving her room.

She knew Sebastian would have a sewing kit on hand somewhere in the house, and she knew that coming to him this late at night wouldn't disturb his sleep.

Tilly paused, however, when she reached the ballroom, the dim orange glow of her candle's flame only faintly illuminating the room, but it was enough. She hadn't yet seen the magnificent room, it's beautifully polished floor, the golden chandelier that loomed carefully over the room.

As if in a trance, Tilly carefully set down her candle and plush doll, pointing and flexing her feet as she stepped out onto the cool stony floor. She could imagine a slow piano tune as she rose up on her toes, taking a couple of steps forward and lifting her leg, holding the position for a few more moments before turning and holding a new pose.

Forgetting for a few moments why she'd left her room in the first place, Tilly continued to dance, making as much use of the spacious ballroom as she could, humming to herself as she moved.

"Pardon me," a voice suddenly sounded, making Tilly stop, her body jolting in surprise as she turned to look at the figure. Sebastian stood in the doorway, his face barely lit by the fading light of her candles. "It would be greatly appreciated if you were to not make so much noise at this time of night."

Tilly felt her face grow warm as she cleared her throat and apologised quietly. Picking her things back up, she approached Sebastian sheepishly, holding up the torn doll. "You broke this earlier," she said with a frown, her words filled with the same accusing tone he'd used with her earlier that day. "I'd like it fixed."

Sebastian stared down at her, as if wondering if she were serious or not, before he took the plush from her, inspecting its decapitated state. He swiftly pulled a small sewing kit from the inside pocket of his jacket, stitching the doll back together within less than two minutes before handing it back to Tilly.

"May I ask where you acquired these...toys with such a likeness to my master and I?" Sebastian asked, making Tilly frown. She couldn't tell him that they were mass-produced; that she'd bought them at a convention crowded with people who knew them just as well as she did - if not more.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," she snapped, trying not to waver as Sebastian leaned forward, frowning suspiciously.

"And are those shoes around your neck 'any of my business'?" he asked, and Tilly paused.

She'd almost forgotten about the ballet shoes. She quickly pulled them off, hiding them behind her back as she stepped away from the demon. "You ask a lot of questions."

"It's my job," Sebastian said.

"Technically," Tilly retorted. "Your job is to answer doors. Though, admittedly, you do a lot more than that, don't you, Sebastian?"

The butler's eyes narrowed as he approached her again, and Tilly gulped. "I'm just curious," he stated, his facial expression growing placid as he flashed her an almost charming smile. "You don't smell like a demon, yet your lack of an appetite and ability to sleep is showing me that you _act_ like one. You've also somehow convinced my master to let you stay here without demonstrating any way of possibly helping him."

Tilly blinked. She was so sure he was listening to her conversation with Ciel earlier that day, though it appeared she was wrong. "Are you saying I...hypnotised him?" she said, unsure of what he was implying.

"I'm saying," Sebastian said forcefully, his smile falling again. "You've done something that normal humans are incapable of. Whatever it is, I don't intend to let you use it to bring any harm to this estate."

The girl's fearful expression softened and she smiled up at him, nodding. He wasn't doing this solely to scare her. He was looking after Ciel. Somehow, Tilly could relate. She'd often purposely been intimidating in order to ward off the kids who picked on her little brother Sebastian was just doing the same thing, and Tilly found it admirable.

After thanking Sebastian for fixing the plush toy, Tilly made her way back to her room, only to wait for hours until the sun came up. She was going to see if her prediction was right; if she would be allowed to stay at the Phantomhive mansion.


End file.
